Swingably extendable hanger support for portable wardrobes



Dec. 20, 1960 J. Y. PELAVIN 2,965,240

SWINGABLY EXTENDABLE HANGER SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE WARDROBES Filed June 27, 1960 INVENTOR. Joseph Y. Pelavin mm D VMMM-=Q ATTORNEYS United States l atent F SWINGABLY EXTENDABLE HANGER SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE WARDROBES Joseph Y. Pelavin, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Droutman Manufacturing Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 27, 1960, Ser. No. 39,079

8 Claims. (Cl. 211-116) This invention relates to portable wardrobes and, more particularly, to novel support means for temporarily supporting clothes hangers outside of the wardrobe during sorting out of clothing supported inside of the wardrobe.

A know form of portable wardrobe comprises a pair of end packing sections interconnected by a flexible hinge section or by a hinge. This wardrobe may be laid flat, or may be hung fiat in an upright position, and packed fiat with clothes, such as suits, coats, dresses, and the like. One end wall of the wardrobe is provided with a rod or pair of rods extending thereacross to support various types of hangers upon which clothes may be hung in suspended condition in the wardrobe when the latter is hung fiat in an upright position. Thereafter, the wardrobe may be closed and folded over to form a compact carrying case.

When the user of the wardrobe arrives at his or her destination, the wardrobe is generally opened to full length and hung in a suspended position. The user may then take out such articles of clothing as may be needed at the moment. However, due to the compact packing of clothing in such a wardrobe, particularly on an extended trip, considerable sorting may be necessary in order to reach the particular article of clothing desired. To facilitate such sorting, it has hitherto been the usual practice to take out these articles of clothing, supported on hangers, which are in front of the desired article and to lay them upon a bed or other surface. This is undesirable, as it may result in disarray of the clothing thus removed.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention is directed to a novel wardrobe construction whereby support means, extendable outside the wardrobe, are provided for hanging up such temporarily removed articles of clothing during sorting to find a particular article, the extended support means being braced by a preferably flexible suspending element from the means suspending the wardrobe. More particularly, in the invention arr-angement, a generally angular bracket has its longer leg extending across and secured to one end wall and actually acting as a reinforcing means for this end wall, the shorter leg of the bracket extending in parallel closely spaced relation to the back wall of the wardrobe. A second angular bracket has one leg secured against the inner surface of the longer leg of the first mentioned bracket, and the other leg disposed in parallel spaced relation to the shorter leg of the first mentioned bracket.

The depending leg of the second bracket has a pair of closely laterally spaced holes formed therethrough, each receiving an elongated rod having a reduced end extending through a small diameter hole in the shorter leg of the first bracket and headed over or otherwise anchored to such shorter leg. Each of a pair of second rods is pivotally connected to the free end of a first rod, and may have a bulb shaped handle at its outer end. The pivotal connection between the inner and outer rods is such that the rods have ends overlapping each other at the joint therebetween, and is so constructed and arranged 2,965,240 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 2 that the outer rod may be swung between an extended position in which it is axially aligned with the inner rod to a folded position at substantially right angles to the latter, the hinge connection affording stop means at each limit of movement. Thus, when the bag is opened, the outer rods may be swung from the folded position to the extended position co-axial with the inner rods and projecting from the open front of the wardrobe. The inner fixed rods have a length sufiicient to support the usual numbers of hangers mounted in such a wardrobe.-

When the outer rods are thus extended, hangers may be removed from inside the wardrobe and hung on the projecting outer rods.

However, such placing of hangers, with supported garments, on the projecting outer rods would tend to bend and deflect the support rod assembly to such an extent that the hangers might possibly slide off therefrom. To prevent this happening, an important feature of the present invention resides in a chain loosely connecting the outer rods. This chain carries, at a point preferably mid-way of its connection to the two outer rods, a hook. Many wardrobes are provided with an angular bracket hook on the end of a chain secured to the upper end wall of the wardrobe, so that the wardrobe may be suspended from a door or the like, during packing and unpacking, by engaging this angular hook over the top of the door.

In accordance with the present invention, support for the projecting rods is provided by the hook on the chain being engaged with this angular suspending hook, or preferably with the chain connecting the angular hook to the end wall of the wardrobe, this providing a triangular or truss support for the otherwise cantilevered projecting outer rods- Thereby, the projecting outer rods, with hangers and garments supported thereon, are prevented from deflecting below a substantially horizontal position.

An outstanding advantage of the wardrobe of the invention is that it is not necessary for the user to unpack. the same upon arrival or to re-pack upon departure. When the arms or rods are extended, the wardrobe can be used as a closet, as all the clothing therein is readily accessible. 7

For an understanding ofthe principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a partial sectional view through a wardrobe incorporating the present invention, illustrating the sup port bars in the extended and supported position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse sectional view of the suspended wardrobe illustrating the support bars in the retracted or folded position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view illustrating details of the hinge connection between the two bars of each support bar assembly;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the wardrobe in the folded condition; and

Fig. 5 is a partial front elevation view of the wardrobe in the suspended condition.

Referring to the drawings, a portable Wardrobe of the type to which the present invention is applicable is il lustrated as comprising an end section 10 which is connected to a similar end section 10' by a flexible or hinge intermediate section 10", in a known manner. The end sections are substantially identical, and each is a relatively rigid, open box shaped section comprising relatively rigid side Walls 11, 11 interconnected by a relatively rigid outer end wall 15. End wall 15 comprises a rigid intermediate member 12 covered by outer fabric 13 and inner fabric 14. The fabrics 13 and 14 are superposed at the inner surface or back 16 of the end section, and

. fastener being intlicate generally at 18 in Fig. 5.

A bracket member 21 is secured to the section end and connected by a link chain 22 to a bracket 20. Bracket.

is arranged to be hooked over the upper edge of a closet door or the like and, for this purpose, has a longer leg 23 connected to chain 22, an intermediate section 24 arranged to engage over the top of a door, and a shorter leg 26 arranged to hook over the back of the door. Thereby, the wardrobe may be suspended fromthe door by hooking bracket 20 over the upper edge of the door.

In accordance with the presentinvention, an angle has along leg 27 secured to end 15 by rivets 28 and reinforcing this .end of the wardrobe. The shorter leg 29 of angle 25 extends substantially at right angles to the longer leg 27 and in parallel, relatively close but spaced relation to the back 16 of the wardrobe. This shorter leg has a relatively small diameter aperture 31 therein.

A second angle 30, having one leg 32 secured to leg 27 of angle 25 by rivets 33, has its other leg 34 extending in parallel spaced relation to the shorter leg 29 of angle 25. Leg 34 of angle is formed with an aperture 36 co-axial with aperture 31 in leg 29 of angle 25, and aperture 36 is substantially larger in diameter than is aperture 31. Actually, and as best seen in Fig. 2, leg 29 has a pair of apertures 31 therethrough in laterally spaced relation, and leg 34 has a pair of apertures 36 therethrough in laterally spaced relation and each coaxial with an aperture 31.

The structure comprising the united brackets 25 and 30 supports a pair of hanger supports generally indicated at35. Each hanger support 35 comprises an inner and relatively fixed rod and an outer swingable rod having its inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of rod 40. The rods 40 and 45 are substantially equal in diameter so that, when extended, they form essentially a single continuous rod. The diameter of each rod 49 and also of each rod 45 is such that each rod 40 will have a close conforming fit through an aperture 36 in bracket 30, and the inner end of each rod 40 is reduced in diameter so as to have a close conforming fit through an aperture 31 in leg 29 of angle 25. This forms a shoulder 39 engaging the outer face of leg 29, and the inner end of each rod 40 is headed over, as at 41, or has a stud threaded thereinto, to firmly anchor the rod in the leg 29 with the rod being supported also by the leg 34 of angle 25.

The outer end of each rod 40 has a substantially horizontal central slot 42 formed by vutting inwardly from the outer end in an axial plane. Referring to Fig. 3, the outer end edges of rod 40 extend diametrically thereof for about half the thickness of the rod and then curve, as indicated at 46, through about 90 degrees about the pivot as the center. Rod 40 has an axial bore 38 extending inwardly from the inner end of slot 42 and receiving a coil spring 43 biasing outwardly a pointed catch The inner end of each rod 45 is formed with a central tongue 4 received in slot 42 and having a central notch 37 on its end releasably engageable with catch 44. The shoulders formed at the juncture of tongue 4h with the main body of rod 45 mate with the outer end edges of rod 40, as indicated at 48 in Fig. 3. The provision of the curved portions 46 and 48 limits the swinging movement of each rod 45 relative to its fixed rod 49 man angle of 90 degrees between the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. It will be noted that, considered from right to left, the pivotally interconnected ends of the rods 4% and 45 are mirror copies of each other so that one rod 45, in its right angle or folded position, extends to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the other rod 45 extends to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. A suitable handle, such asa bulb portion 47, may be provided on the outer end of each rod 45.

As pre'viously stated, when the rods '45 are swung to their positions aligned with the rods 40, they project out the open front of the bag and may be used to support hangers, with garments thereon, during packing and unpacking of the bag. In such case, if the rod assemblies supports simply act as cantilevers, they are liable to deflect very considerably under the weight of the supported hangers and garments, and possibly even to such an extent that the hangers would slide otf the rods 45. The present invention provides means for preventing such bending or sagging of the rods 45 when the rods 45 arethus extended.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a chain 55 comprising interconnected links 56 is secured at each end to a ring 57 secured in a rod 45 adjacent the bulbous portion 47. Intermediate its ends, and preferably mid-way of such ends, the chain 55 has a hook 60 secured thereto. This hook is adapted, when the rods 45 are extended as shown in Fig. l, to be engaged either with bracket 20 or with the links of chain 22, the length of the chain being so selected that, when hook 60 is engaged as described, the rods 45 are prevented from bending below the horizontal plane. This chain 55 thus, in combination with the supports 35 as extended and the bracket 20 or the chain 22, forms a triangular truss structure which serves to support the extended rods 45 substantially rigidly in horizontal position. Thereby sagging of the extended rods 45, when hangers with garments are placed thereon, is prevented in a simple manner. When the rods 45 are swung to the full line positions of Fig. 2, before closure of the Wardrobe, the chain 55 sags in a gentle curve between the two ends of the rods 45.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable wardrobe comprising, in combination, an end wall; suspending means secured to extend outwardly from said end wall for suspending the wardrobe in the extended condition; a first rod extending across said end wall in spaced relation thereto from front to back within the wardrobe to support garment hangers therein; a second rod having an inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of said first rod for swinging movement, in a plane substantially parallel to said end wall, between a folded position within the wardrobe and an extended position extending outwardly of the front of the wardrobe; and a flexible element extending between the outer end portion of said second rod and said suspending means, in the extended position of said second rod, said flexible element being disengageably connected to one of said suspending elements and said second rod and substantially permanently connected to the other thereof; said flexible element having a length such as to maintain said second rod substantially parallel to said end wall when said second rod is in the extended position.

2. A portable wardrobe comprising, in combination, an end wall; suspending means secured to extend outwardly from said end wall for suspending the wardrobe in the extended condition; a pair of first parallel rods each extending across said end wall in spaced relation thereto from front to back within the wardrobe to support garment hangers therein; a pair of second rods each having an inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of one of said first rods for swinging movement, in a plane substantially parallel to said end wall, between a folded position within the wardrobe and an extended position extending outwardly of the front of the wardrobe; a flexible element extending between and connected to the outer end portions of said second rods; means on said fiexble element, intermediate the ends thereof, disengageably connected to said suspending element, in'the extended position of said second rods; said flexible element having a length such as, when connected to said suspending element, to maintain said second rods substantially parallel to said end wall when said second rods are in the extended position.

3. A portable wardrobe as claimed in claim 1, including cooperating formations at the pivotally interconnected ends of said first and second rods limiting swinging movement of said second rod relative to said first rod between a folded position, in which said second rod is substantially perpendicular to said first rod, and an extended position, in which said second rod is substantially aligned with said first rod.

4. A portable wardrobe as claimed in claim 2, includ'ng cooperating formations on the pivotally interconnected ends of said first and second rods limiting swinging movement of said second rods between folded positions substantially perpendicular to the associated first rods, and with the second rods extending oppositely from each other, and extended positions in which each second rod is aligned with its associated first rod.

5. A portable wardrobe comprising, in combniation, an end wall, a front and a back; suspending means secured to extend outwardly from said end wall for suspending the wardrobe in the extended condition; a first angle bracket having a relatively long leg secured to and extending across said end wall from front to back of the wardrobe and anchored to said end wall and reinforcing the latter, said first angle bracket having a relatively short leg extending substantially parallel and in spaced relation to said back; a second angle bracket having a first leg anchored to the longer leg of said first angle bracket and a second leg perpendicular to said first leg and extending in parallel spaced relation to the shorter leg of said first bracket; said second leg having at least one aperture therethrough axially aligned with an aperture in the shorter leg of said first bracket, the aperture in the shorter leg of said first bracket being substantially smaller in area than the aperture in the second leg of said second bracket; a first rod extending across said end wall in spaced parallel relation thereto from front to back within the wardrobe to support the garment hangers therein, said first rod having a close conforming fit through the aperture in said second leg and having a reduced inner end having a close conforming fit in the aperture in said shorter leg and anchored to said shorter leg; a second rod having an inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of said first rod for swinging movement, in a plane substantially parallel to said end wall, between a folded position within the wardrobe and an extended position extending outwardly of the front of the wardrobe; a flexible element extending between the outer end portion of said second rod and said suspending means, in the extended position of said second rod, said flexible element being disengageably connected to one of said suspending element and said second rod and substantially permanently connected to the other end thereof; said flexible element having a length such as to maintain said second rod substantially parallel to said end wall when said second rod is in the extended position.

6. A portable wardrobe as claimed in claim 5 in which there are a pair of said first rods, each extending through an aperture in said second leg and having a reduced end anchored in an aperture in said shorter leg; a pair of second rods each having an inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of one of said first rods for swinging movement, in a plane substantially parallel to said end wall, between a folded position within the wardrobe and an extended position extending outwardly of the front of the wardrobe; a flexible element extending between and connected to said second rods adjacent the outer ends thereof; means on said flexible element intermediate the ends thereof selectively engageable with said suspending element in the extended position of said second rods; said flexible element having a length such as to maintain said second rods substantially parallel to said end walls when said last-named means is secured to said suspending element and said second rods are in the extended position.

7. A portable wardrobe as claimed in claim 6 in which said flexible element is a chain having its end links connected to the outer ends of said second rods; and said last-named means is a hook at substantially the midpoint of said chain selectively engageable in an aperture of said suspending means.

8. A portable wardrobe as claimed in claim 1 in which said suspending means comprises a multi-link chain secured to said end wall and an angular hook of relatively flat strap material secured to the free end of said chain and having an intermediate substantially fiat portion engageable with the upper edge of a door or the like and a depending end engageable over the door to maintain said hook on the upper edge of a door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,828 Wheary Dec. 18, 1906 1,367,629 Shoemaker Feb. 8, 1921 1,615,430 Woodruff Jan. 25, 1927 1,709,811 Ritter Apr. 16, 1929 2,662,645 Piton Dec. 15, 1953 

